Within Harar are a bustling 33,000 or
so Hararis or Adaris (other groups don't live within the
walls) in a square km or two. Despite the numbers, most
streets aren't crowded and it is quite relaxed. Just
wandering through the narrow pathways bracketed by high
whitewashed walls is worth the visit. The special sites in
Harar are the House of Arthur Rimbaud, the French poet and
arms dealer, the ancient mosque of Abul Bakir, and the gates
of the city. There is unfortunately dilapidated mansion in
which the Emperor Haile Selassie grew up as well. The mosque of Sheikh
Abul Bakir reminds you of the Moslem heritage of Harar
(there are 87 mosques in Harar). Abul Bakirí's mosque
is built on ancient remains which reputedly date back 1000
years. It is a holy site for the Moslem population, who
visit in large numbers, attended by the current descendant
Sheikh. There are seven gates to old Harar, and AABD will
show you them all if you give him the time. The most famous
is the one you drive through coming into the old town, which
apart from anything else is depicted on the label of Harar
beer. Many of the others have been bricked in or replaced by
modern roads. One gate ourguide
will show you is the one through which the explorer Richard
Burton passed in 1855. He was reputedly the first European
to come to Harar, which was a closed and holy city for the
Moslems. Foreigners or infidels would be executed. In his
lively but dated account he wrote about how he dressed as an
Arab and through his fluent Arabic he managed to fool the
Adaris during his several week stay. The Adaris politely
infer that his identity as a foreigner and infidel was known
all along, but they tolerated this interesting guest. No
doubt the sense of danger and derring-do with which Burton
wrote his text helped to sell the copies which helped
finance his later explorations. There are plenty of
other sights in the city. The large church of Mikael - the
largest Christian church, is reasonably impressive. There is
also an old Roman Catholic church, run by an amiable Maltan
priest, which dates from the turn of the century. Abdu's
tour not only includes historical sites, it also includes
the daily life of Adaris. It is a bit disconcerting when he
leads you in through a gate, apparently randomly, into
someone's house. They are always welcoming, and of course I
now realize that AABD has a well trodden route prepared,
with connections or finance involved. Adaris are
justifiably proud of their houses, which are all solid and
square, behind walls in a small compound. They have a large
sitting area for socializing over coffee or chat (more on
this later). They have loads of colorful baskets and Chinese
platters on the walls. They are focused on marriage - there
is a rack over the front door which holds a valuable rug or
rugs which are the dowry for the eligible young lady in the
house. They have a room near the entrance which is kept for
newlyweds, who are expected to get acquainted through being
kept there for a week after their marriage. A small opening
is used to pass in food and other necessities. I always
wondered how they went to the toilet. Apart from the
regular houses, AABD will show you places which sell the
famous Harar baskets and jewelry. The baskets are a bit
pricey, but very nice. No foreign resident of Ethiopia
should leave without them as souvenirs. There is an odd
shaped tubular basket which they use for covering candles. I
rudely call them a Harar condom. They also do nice silver
bracelets and earrings. The Adder are amongst the most
prosperous and educated of Ethiopian peoples. They are
traders. They suffered under the Communist Dergue. They are
prospering again. There are also a lot of Amhara people in
Harar, but much of the town and all of the surrounding
countryside is Oromo. Outside of the old
town, there is still a lot to see in Harar. There are the
buildings of the Harar Military College. There are numerous
public buildings and churches. My favorite stop, however, is
the Harar beer factory. I had planned to go to the beer
factory for a long time before I got around to it. Through
AABD we arranged a tour of the Czech assisted plant finished
in 1984 (months before the Ethiopian famine broke into the
world headlines). Harar beer is my personal favorite in
Ethiopia. Both it and the Hakim stout I adore are
unfortunately not readily available outside of the East and
South. After a surprisingly interesting tour of the plant we
got down to the real business - tasting the new draft beer.
We had a lively conversation with our hosts, who
disconcertingly continued to refill the five liter beaker of
draft beer for the five of us. I'd rather not reveal how
many beakers were consumed, but during the time we were
there a little counter showed that 40,000 bottles of beer
were produced by the factory. We couldn't keep
up. We staggered out of
there unable to fully enjoy the nightlife, which is lively.
I am mystified that the predominantly Moslem cities of Harar
and Jijiga seem to have the best bars in the country. I once
spent 5 hours with a jovial English consultant moving from
one drinking establishment to another. We were having a
contest, where one of us would tell a joke, then the other.
We kept it up for the 5 hours. I think I won because he was
reduced to dirty limericks. I've traveled through the
surroundings of Harar quite a lot for work, and I've visited
some interesting but difficult to get to places. If you're
not going on work, I'm not sure many of them are worth
it. Dire Dawa is
a natural stop, as you fly there to go to Harar. Many people
like Dire Dawa better than Harare There are a few places to
see, like the old Chemin de Fer (Railway Station). Dire Dawa
styles itself the little Paris, and it does have a few good
cafes, and some outdoor markets where the variety and prices
are amongst the best in Ethiopia. I was quite taken by the
Christian graveyard, which includes recently renovated
markers for the Commonwealth soldiers who died fighting the
Italians in 1940-41. There was a big ceremony there when
Princess Anne visited a few years ago. All of the graves are
of Africans from present day Kenya, Malawi, Zimbabwe, Ghana
and so on, except for three British airmen. It's fitting to
remember that many of the 'British' troops who helped
liberate Ethiopia were Africans. The other direction
from Harare is Jijiga, the capital of Somali Region.
Unfortunately the road to Jijiga is frequently unsafe, so it
is advisable to fly. When you do drive, you find fantastic
rock formations in Babile, and an elephant reserve which has
no apparent elephants, although the Director of National
Parks assures me that there are over 50. Many foreigners
have been based in Jijiga, especially a few years ago when
there were large refugee camps, and many loved the place. It
has a few nice bars and plenty of nice people but not to
much to see. It is a bit fascinating to travel East to the
frontier with Somaliland, and gaze across into an area which
has no government recognized by any country. Under the
circumstances, smuggling or informal trade thrives, and
apparently satellite dishes and almost anything else you can
name go for very reasonable prices. Don't be tempted - it is
illegal to transport anything like that! To the North of
Harare is a terrible road which leads to the sightly and
interesting birthplace of Haile Selassie. Given the
subsequent illustriousness of the prominent son of Ejarso
Goro village, the place itself remains very humble. I
couldn't help but be struck by the neglect of the mud walled
community by their Emperor. The only exception is the
church, which is quite large and elaborate but very
neglected. It was moved to this site by Haile Selassie in
1953 Ethiopian calendar (about 1960 European calendar), to
put the place of his birth on holy ground. The head priest,
Mamhere Mengiste Tagene, showed us the site. The church is
fairly large and disconcertingly orange. There is a place on
the front where the plaque commemorating the birth of Haile
Selassie was unceremoniously ripped off by agents of the
Dergue government. Although the grounds
are neglected and overgrown, the priests can show you the
main points. A circle of rocks marks the place where Haile
Selassiesí father, Ras Makonnen, built his country
house. He picked a nice spot. The hills rise steeply from
Harare, which is already at a respectable altitude. One can
see how Makonnen, as a Shoan highlander, would want to find
the highest and coolest place available to escape his town
house in Harare. The other specialty of the grounds is a
small tree stump which takes some effort to separate from
the undergrowth. This, we are told, is a tree planted the
day Haile Selassie was born, and which died the day he
died. The church does not
suffer from an excess of foreign visitors. In the previous
year they had three. The year before that was big, they had
five. Most of them were Jamaicans, presumably Rastafarians
keen on the birthplace of the revered Haile Selassie. The
small local Christian congregation of about 150 lacks the
resources to maintain the church. The mosque across town is
well tended by comparison. The Mamhere told us that a fund
raising committee had been set up to sponsor repairs. We
weren't able to see the inside of the church to assess the
need ourselves. As sometimes happens in Ethiopia, the
elusive fellow with the key was not to be found. One interesting side
story occurred during my visit to the area during the World
Cup of soccer. One enterprising fellow in Ejarso Goro had
purchased a satellite dish, large television set and
generator (there is no electricity in the area), and was
showing World Cup games to large and appreciative audiences
for two birr a person. Based on the cheaper prices on the
black market in the East, we estimated that the entrepreneur
was going to recover his investment in about 10 days of the
World Cup, based on two sittings of 200-300 people per day.
South of Harare is a
large expanse of lush highlands. The main road cuts south
about 25 km West of Harare, to Kurfa Challe, Gurawa, and
Gole Ode areas. This is the area of the awesome Garamuletu
ridge. The rolling hills covered by the endemic chat of the
area are attractive, but I was unprepared for the
spectacular Garamuletu. It rises at first in the distance,
then you find yourself skirting the edge of the steep rise
until you turn a corner and are presented with the best
view. The ridge rises rapidly, and on the day I was there
disappeared fetchingly into clouds at the top. The sides
were forested and graced with impressive rock formations.
Horses wandered across the road from one patch of trees to
another. It was nice. Of historical
interest is the jailhouse which was the final resting place
for the deposed Emperor Iyassu at Gurawa. This can be found
10 kilometers down the road which branches off just as you
reach the spectacular corner at Garamuletu. The prison is on
a wonderful plateau overlooking the town. It is a very nice
site. We were accompanied by a very helpful local official,
as well as a number of soldiers stationed at the prison.
Although Iyassu's prison is not in use and is predictably
dilapidated, it adjoins an active prison. This mars the site
somewhat, in particular because photographs were disallowed.
Apart from that inconvenience, the site was marvelous and
not so old that it has fallen apart. It is a solid stone
structure with iron bar windows. Two tall walls, about 3
meters high (10 feet for the unconverted) surround a
courtyard with a large prison house. The house was very
comfortable. It has two large rooms, each with a fireplace.
On the side is a smallish windowless cell, which apparently
was the deposed Emperor's bedroom. Behind the main house are
some other structures, including a building with a large
cellar. It is said that Iyassu was locked there when he
became too agitated. That would have been
unpleasant. The conditions under
which Iyassu was kept are confusing. Servants quarters are
on the compound and he apparently had his own attendants and
cooks. A smooth section of the wall is said to have been
used as a screen for movies. Servants are also said to have
procured willing maidens from the town for Iyassu's
entertainment. On the other hand, there is the small,
cell-like bedroom with its little window and the cellar.
There is also a tale that the cruel jailors would hire local
maidens to parade naked out of reach of the understandably
frustrated Iyassu behind his iron bars. One the complaints
against Iyassu had been his inordinate sexual
appetite. The local
interpreters were not very helpful with dates and historical
specifics. They argued with each other. I had to look it up.
According to Bahru Zewde in "A Modern History of Ethiopia",
Iyassu effectively ruled from 1911-16, replacing his
grandfather Menelik II. He was overthrown in a coup by Ras
Teferi (later Haile Selassie) and his allies, but managed to
flee. He was captured five years later and imprisoned in
Fiche, near Debre Libanos northwest of Addis, until 1932.
After an abortive, or perhaps alleged, prison escape he was
transferred to Gurawa. He died around 1936, with the
juiciest explanation that he was executed by Haile Selassie
to prevent the possibility that he would become a puppet
Emperor of the invading Italians. It is a nice place to
visit - scenic and interesting and less than 2 hours from
Harare. One local custom in
the Harar area which the somewhat adventurous may wish to
try is the chewing of chat. It is a mild narcotic popular in
Yemen, Saudi Arabia and an increasingly wider area. It is
probably the biggest cash crop for Harar, which is renowned
for the quality of its chat. Although it is popular as an
acceptable stimulant for Moslems, its popularity
increasingly crosses religious and ethnic lines. Chat is a bush. You
chew the small, tender leaves. They taste like a bush. Like
many stimulants it is an acquired taste. The sophisticated
chat chewer keeps the remnants of the leaves in a ball in
his cheek. In my amateurish experiments, my leaves all
dissolved. I didn't really swallow them, they just went
down. The proper chat ceremony is a relaxed affair where you
lean on couches and drink coffee or tea while chewing and
chatting with your friends and family. It lasts several
hours. I found that after a few attempts the chat loosened
my tongue considerably. To the dismay of my friends, this
made me even more talkative than usual. Rather than coffee,
I prefer to sip on a beer between branches of chat. The bad
side of chat can be seen on almost any roadside around
Harar, where crazed older men with unattractive green teeth
and balls of leaves in their cheeks exhibit their madness in
various ways. I assume there is a causative relationship -
too much chat over too long a period drives at least some
people mad. Like all stimulants, chat should be taken
moderately if at all. Editor's
Note: We met Mr. Graham at Le Petit Paris, a charming French
Restaurant in Addis Ababa. A Canadian working in a key area
of relief, John is very enthusiastic about his work in
Africa.
Ethiopia:
Off the Beaten Trail By John Graham
Inside Ethiopia by John
Graham. Foreword
by Philip Briggs
Ethiopia is a
country of endless stories and histories, many never heard
outside this elusive country. John Graham has tirelessly
traversed Ethiopia, and explored many nooks and crannies of
this ancient land. From the China Road to the most remote
mountain monastery Mr Graham has visited and documented
those parts of Ethiopia rarely seen or discussed by the
outside world. Beyond Aksum, Lalibela, and the Blue Nile
Falls are places, ruins, and sights seldom exposed to the
world at large, John Graham's Ethiopia: Off the Beaten Trail
takes you to these unseen gems. US$ 25.00 ISBN 1-931253-11-0
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http://www.shamabooks.com/
A
Culture Treasure:
Ethiopia's Walled City
of Harar
by John Graham
The most pleasant city to visit in Ethiopia is Harar. Bahir
Dar and Melee are both very nice, and most places have their
charm, but in my humble opinion Harar is the best. It has a
wonderful history, lots to see, a pleasant climate,
attractive countryside surroundings, and is relatively
hassle free. There is an undefinable atmosphere about the
place. The women are carefully and colorfully garbed. The
architecture, including many government buildings, use the
characteristic Harar style of medieval Moorish castles. It's
nice. The first place to see is the old town inside the
walls. There are a couple of guides, one of whom will
materialize at your elbow within moments of your walking
into the old town (if you're a fearing!). My favorite guide
is a cheerful baseball cap wearing Adder (native of Harar).
For whatever price you want, which means 50 birr per person
he will walk you through old Harare on a customized tour.
Tell him how long you've got and he'll give you a tour to
fit. I think I've done Abdu's Harar tour 5 times (and the
other guide once). Every time I go to Harar with someone new
for myself on the tour. The tours range from a hurried 40
minutes to a leisurely 3 hours.
Above photo by Karen
Hoffman is of Rimbaud House in Harrar.
The House of
Rimbaud is being renovated with the help of UNESCO, making
slow but impressive progress until it was recently stopped
by a shortage of funds. It is a great two storey affair with
plenty of Indian woodwork and art deco wallpaper. It has a
wonderful indoor balcony at the top. From the windows you
can almost see all four directions over Harar. On the first
floor through another entrance you can see the restoration
underway on the old library. While this is styled as
Rimbauds' House, the other story is that it was a French
school at which Rimbaud taught. Regardless it is fantastic.
It brings to mind the period of French ascendancy in
Ethiopia, which is still highly visible. The French
connection here is strong, the language is quite common and
even the all pervasive 'Ferengi' for foreigner is an Amharic
corruption of 'French'. French support for Ethiopia from the
1880s to World War I included the building of the railroad
and the useful supply of arms. French arms, provided through
intermediaries such as Rimbaud, helped the Ethiopians to
defeat the Italian invasion in 1896.